Sliding caster.



A. B. DIS S.

SLIDING CASTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 28, 1915.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

'2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ATTORNEY A. B. DISS.

SLIDING CASTER.

APPLICATION man MAY 28. 1915.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A TTOR/VEY THE COLUMBIA PLANOG the flanges of the angle-bar leg.

oi n s ra s ra an anion.

ALBERT B. DISS, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO UNIVERSAL CASTER do FOUNDRY COMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SLIDING CASTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 18, 191%..

Application filed May 28, 1915. Serial No. 30,896.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, ALBERT B. Drss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Sliding Casters, of which the followingis a specification. I

My invention relates to casters having dome-shaped or convexly-curved sliding supporting surfaces, which casters are de signed to cooperate with the angle-bar legs of certain types of furniture, such as metallic couches, divans, davenports, and the like.

Casters or supporting surfaces adapted for cooperation with tubular legs or with solid legs manifestly cannot be used with furniture having angle-bar legs. In previous structures, the leg-supporting plate of a caster has been provided with upwardly struck flanges which have been riveted to By my present construction the leg-supporting plate is provided with a rounded dome or convexly-curved supporting surface, an upwardly extending flange being provided which bridges across the opening of the angle-bar leg, this flange being provided at its ends with portions bent around the to slidingly engage the outer surfaces of the flanges of the angle bar, the structure being held in place by a friction device positioned between the flanges of the anglebar and frictionallv engaging both the caster structure and the angle-bar. In both forms of my device, the necessity for using rivets or other securing means for holding the caster structure to the angle-bar leg is done away with, thereby simplifyingand .cheaps ening the construction and attachment of the caster and providing a structure of improved appearance.

Somewhat similar structures are described and claimed in my application entitled Casters for angle-bar furniture, Serial No. 30,895, filed May 28, 1915. The application referred to, however, is concerned with a caster structure employing caster wheels or rotatable supporting surfaces which are mounted by means of the usual jaws and pintles, the latter being rotatably mounted in flanges of a frame such as that described above, and adapted to be secured to anglebar legs.

In order that a clearer understanding of my invention may be had, attention is hereby directed to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification and illustrating certain embodiments of my invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the lower portion of an angle-bar leg having a sliding caster secured thereto, Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on line 22 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the device, Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the sliding caster illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, Fig. 6 is a vertical section of a removable sliding caster mounted upon the lower end of an angle-bar leg, Fig. 7 is a horizontal section of the same taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 6 and Fig. 8

is a horizontal section of the same taken on line 88 of Fig. 6.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 5 of the drawings, the angle-bar leg 1 is formed with a pair of flanges 1, 1 at right angles to each other. The sliding caster is formed from a blank of sheet-metal pressed to the desired configuration and having a bottom flange or leg-supporting plate 2, which extends beneath and supports the flanges l, 1 of the angle-bar leg. This plate has side edges 2, 2 extending at right angles to each other from the apex or angle 1 of the angle frame 1, edges 2 being in substantial alinement with the outer surfaces of flanges 1 of the angle-bar, The edges 2 of plate 2 are joined by the edges 2 which preferably is curved as shown and bridges across the opening of the angle-bar. The lower surface of plate 2 is provided with the dome 3, the same being pressed downwardly from plate 2 with a convex curvature or curvatures, of any suitable configuration, this dome surface being smooth and preferably polished to enable the same to readily slide over carpets or other surfaces.

The vertical flange 4 is pressed to extend upwardly from the curved edge 2 of the bottom plate 2. Vertical flange 4 is of the same curvature as the edge 2 of the bottom plate and bridges across the opening of the angle-bar. Plate 4 is provided with end portions 5, 5 which are bent around the front edges of the angle-bar flanges and lie against the outer surfaces of the angle-bar flanges as shown. End portions or ears 5, 5 are pressed against the outer surfaces ofthe angle-bar flanges 1, 1 with sufficient force to hold the structure securely in place. Preferably the ears are curved as to their upper surfaces, from the edges of the anglebar flanges, downwardly to the outer ends of the ears 5 adjacent to the bottom edges of the angle-bar flanges, so that the ears 5 are given a somewhat pointed shape 6 at their outer ends which may readily be pressed into the outer surfaces of the anglebar flanges to securely hold the structure. In mounting the device it is only necessary to slip the lower ends of the flanges of the angle-bar into the pockets formed between vertical flange 4 and the ears 5, until the angle-bar contacts the bottom plate 2 adjacent to the edges of the pressed out portion 3, and to then press the ears 5 firmly in contact with the outer surfaces of the angle-bar. The configuration of the structure showngives the same great strength.

The structure shown in Figs. 6 to 8 inclusi e differs from that above in that. it is made to be readily removable from the angle-bar leg. The caster structure has a bottom leg-supporting plate 2 with dome 8 and vertical front flange 4 bridging the opening of the angle-bar, with ears 5 extending around the outer surfaces of the angle-bar as in the structure previously described. The ears 5, however, are not pressed into securing engagement with the outer surfaces of the angle-bar flanges, but are adapted to slidingly engage the same, with sufiicient closeness to hold the caster firmly in position when mounted. The upper edge of vertical flange 4 in the form of my invention now described is bent inwardly at its upper edge to form a horizontal top flange 6. This flange 6 is approximately of the shape of a right angle triangle, as shown in Fig. 7, and fits closely within the flanges 1', 1 ofthe angle-bar. The spring 10, inthe form illustrated, is formed of a strip of spring metal having a horizontal flange 10 secured to the under side of flange 6, by a rivet 9, and a depending leaf 10 adapted to press against the inner surfaces of flanges 1. When the caster frame is mounted in position the flanges 1', 1 of the angle-bar are slid between the front flange 4 and the ears 5 until they contact the bottom flange 2 of the caster, the top flange 6 sliding within the flanges of the angle-bar. The leaf 10 of the spring contacts the inner surfaces of the flanges of the angle-bar, adjacent the apex thereof, during the movement of the caster frame into position and frictionally holds the caster in position.

It is to be understood that my invention includes the fair equivalents of the specific structure described above.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The combination with an angle-bar of an object to be supported, of a support therefor comprising a pressed metal frame having a bottom flange extending below and supporting the flanges of said angle-bar, and a vertical side portion extending upwardly from an edge of said bottom flange across the opening of said angle-bar, and having end portions bent around the flanges of said angle-bar to closely contact the outer surfaces thereof, said bottom flange having a downwardly-curved dome on its lower surface adapted to slidingly support the structure, substantially as set forth.

2. A sliding caster adapted to be removably mounted in the lower end of an angle bar leg, comprising a frame having a bottom flange adapted to extend below and support the flanges of the angle-bar, said flange having a downwardly-curved supporting dome,

a vertical side portion extending upwardly from an edge of said bottom flange, adapted to span the opening of the angle-bar, a pair of ears bent to extend outside the flanges of the angle-bar and contact the outer surfaces thereof, and a top flange bent from said side portion and adapted to fit within the flanges of the angle-bar, a pin extending downwardly from said top flange, and a flat spring mounted on said pin and adapted to contact the inner surfaces of the angle-bar adjacent the angle thereof, to hold the caster frictionally in position, substantially as set forth.

3. A sliding caster adapted to be removably mounted in the lower end of an anglebar leg, comprising a frame having a bottom flange adapted to extend below and support the flanges of the angle-bar, said flange having a downwardly-curved supporting dome, a vertical side portion extending upwardly from. anedgeof said bottom flange, adapted to span the opening of the angle-bar, and caster frictionally in position, substantially 10 having bent end portions adapted to extend as set forth.

around the edges of the flanges of the angle This specification signed and witnessed bar and contact the outer surfaceds thereof, this 26th day of May, 1915.

and a to flan e bent from said si e ortion and adagted t d fit within the fianges of the ALBERT DISS' angle-bar, and a spring mounted below said top flange, in position to press against an inner surface of the angle-bar, to hold the Witnesses DYER SMITH, I. MoIN'msH.

Gupta 0! this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 0! ratentl. Washington, II. 0. 

